PLEASE! To hell with "brush cleaner!"

If your like me, then you must've questioned rather your brush cleaner really cleans your brushes! It seems like the cleaner cleans ok with your smaller bristle brushes. You know the ones you use for lip painting or winged liner. But for the more heavier bristles, like for liquid concealer and foundation, do that little bottle of "cleanser" really work? And my guess is, not as good as my Dawn dish detergent!

Yep, I said DAWN DISH DETERGENT!

So what I like to do to ensure that my brushes are clean and ready for my next client, I submerge all my dirty brushes into a plastic bowl. In this bowl I have about a half inch of water, two drops of dish detergent and a half tea spoon of coconut oil! The coconut oil is a great aid in keeping your brushes soft. Unlike brush cleaner, which does not help them from becoming dry, hard & brittle!

I also like how the coconut oil maintain the natural shine of my bristles!

Once submerged, I let them sit for about 5-10 minutes. You can do this one brush at a time or 3-4 brushes at a time. Trying to clean to many brushes at one time will not get them as clean as they could be. Be patient and repeat the  steps below with each brush! 

1. Fill bowl up with half inch of water

2. Drop two drops of dawn dish detergent

3. Add your brushes (1-4 at a time)

4. Let sit for 5-10 mins then swoosh brushes around in water.

5. Once water turns a dark color (usually from the makeup)

Dump the dirty water out and repeat steps 1-4. 

6. The water will become clear as your brushes become clean.

(Dawn works wonders with pulling out dirt & oil!)

7. Now fill with half inch of water and a half teaspoon of coconut oil.

Allow for your brushes to sit for 3-5 minutes. 

8. Remove brushes, towel blot, then sit damp, clean brushes on

paper towel to air dry!

WALA! Your brushes are clean and ready to use. I suggest doing this at the end of each day.

Having more than one set of brushes helps. Especially if you have a busy day ahead of you!

        *For more tips on makeup, nails, hair and all things beauty, please check back weekly!*

Broke A Nail? Fix It Yourself!

I'm sure all boojiBEE's hate that moment when you chip or break a nail! It's such an inconvenience to go to a salon and too disturbing for you to look at. So what do you do? Well you can return to your stylist and ask for it to be repaired, or, you can fix it yourself!

All you need is:
1. CND Monomer and Polymer (acrylic powder and liquid).
2. Place a small amount of each in a small glass dish/container.
3. Nail brush. I use a size 16.
4. Nail file.
5. Dehydrator (Optional. CND has some with their product line).
6. Nail Primer
7. Nail former.
8. Paper towel.

Once you've collected all these products, your ready to get started!

With 5 easy steps, even for those not so nail techy, you can have a new looking acrylic nail within minutes!
Now, some will think "why don't I take the whole nail off?" Well, why make extra work for yourself?

After you've gathered your materials, take off polish on broken nail and use a file to prep nail. File the surface of the nail until it's no longer shiny and feels gritty. This helps the acrylic to adhere to the nail alot easier. Once you file, apply your nail dehydrator and then your primer.

Next, you want to place your nail former properly like so. Make sure you stick both ends together to keep steady position. Properly apply your acrylic to the free edge where nail broke and to the space that needs a fill in (if need be). 

After proper application of acrylic, remove nail former carefully, making sure acrylic has dried. Repeat filing/shaping/buffing to a smooth, ready to polish finish. Apply cuticle oil and wash hands.

Lastly, pick a cute, complimentary color that matches your skin tone and season! For me, I chose a medium orange by "Pure ICE". This polish I picked up in the checkout line at Walmart. For its inexpensive price, it goes on smooth and dries fast. Apply your base coat first, color polish twice then seal with a shiny top coat. You can leave the color plain how it is or add your own designs & embellishments!

Once dried, use a good lotion to moisturize your hands and get rid of any dryness or ash!

For more tips on nails, hair & makeup check back weekly!